(KUTV) Years and years of memories and important documents all dumped in a garbage can. But thanks to a good Samaritan those priceless items are back into the hands of the rightful owner.

"Oh my goodness these are old, old," said an emotional Donna Velarde as she sat and looked through the photos that were dumped in the trash. "My mother looks very beautiful in that picture."

The story of where the pictures were found all starts on the day a man showed up at the 2News studios in downtown Salt Lake City carrying a large black bag. He said he found it in a garbage can at a downtown car wash, and figured someone would be missing what's inside.

2News film critic Ryan Painter was working in the news room when he went out to meet the stranger. "The whole bag was filled with photos," said Painter who said the mystery man didn't want to leave his name. "Basically his only concern was that it ended up getting back into the hands of the people they belonged to. It was a selfless act."

The only option to find the family was to post some of the photos on our KUTV website asking viewers if anyone recognized people in the photos. Within a short time the family was found.